A present trend in portable communications devices is to reduce the size of these devices. Some components of the devices are more susceptible to size reduction then other components. While the size of microphones, for example, can be reduced through conventional micro-engineering techniques such as micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), the small microphones degrade the devices' ability to receive the user's audio inputs. Also, the placement of the microphone in some portable communication devices such as automotive communication systems and emergency medical technician headgear increases the reception of ambient noise. Thus, in portable communications systems and automotive systems it is desirable to implement very small microphone arrays which provide audio signal enhancement. Planar arrays of like microphones reduced to the scale of a single element, however, cannot beam form at audio frequencies using known array techniques.
Thus, what is needed is a physical microphone system that can utilize array technology able to reduce microphones to near point sources. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.